Tumultuous. Unprecedented. Destabilizing. These are just a few of the words that come to mind when describing U.S. politics during the first few months of 2025. At the time of this writing, President Trump has signed 152 executive orders and the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a budget bill that will cut millions of low-income Americans from essential services. With significant economic and social change underway, the far-reaching effects of the second Trump administration’s policies are being felt personally and professionally. SPSSI members are dealing with the fallout from mass firings at federal agencies, navigating the loss of research grants, advocating against the deportation of students, colleagues, relatives, and community members, and fighting multipronged attacks on DEI initiatives and higher education. Of course, this is just a sampling of the many challenges facing the communities in which we live and work.

Thanks to SPSSI’s Policy and Communications Director Sam Abbott, SPSSI is staying on top of a wide range of policy issues and we are collaborating with other organizations to amplify our voice and impact. On behalf of SPSSI, I signed on to the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&U) A Call for Constructive Engagement, joining more than 600 colleges, universities, and professional societies to speak in one voice against government overreach and political interference in higher education. But there is so much we can and must do, and the deep and varied expertise of SPSSI’s membership is crucial to our policy impact. In addition to endorsing public statements (some of which are authored by other APA divisions and societies), there is a long tradition of SPSSI members authoring powerful evidence-based position statements on diverse social issues, such as the death penalty (Ellsworth, Haney, & Costanzo, 2001), climate change (Swim & Clayton, 2010), and U.S. Census, voting rights, and civic engagement (Moadel-Attie, Wilton, & Abbott, 2024). These comprehensive research-driven statements are vital policy resources and we hope to expand coverage and engage more SPSSI members in this work. If you are interested in potentially writing a position statement, please reach out to Sam to share your ideas and learn more about this process.

Even amid unrest and strife, there is strength in community. I am thrilled that the SPSSI community will soon gather for our annual conference (preconference on June 26^th; conference June 27^th – 29^th). When we come together to share our scholarship and learn from each other, we not only gain new knowledge and perspectives, we also build community and grow stronger. Professors Giselle Laiduc and Tessa Dover did a stellar job organizing this year’s conference and it is going to be incredible. So many great sessions and discussions are planned, including talks by brilliant keynote speakers, María Elena Torre, Brian Smedley, and former SPSSI president Abby Stewart, who will tackle some of the urgent social justice issues we confront. Many of us (including me) consider SPSSI our professional “home,” and I like to think of our upcoming meeting as our own special version of a homecoming – a space to recharge, re(connect), gain strength in community, and work toward a better, more just future together. I look forward to seeing you in Portland!

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